World War Three map shows how quickly Russian missiles could hit London

Russian S-200 Wega - very long range, medium-to-high altitude surface-to-air missile against blue sky
-Credit: (Image: Getty)


A terrifying map has revealed just how quickly Vladimir Putin's missiles could reach major European cities - including London.

It comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to strike the UK with a new ballistic missile after using the weapon to hit a target in Ukraine.

The Russian president has lowered the bar for unleashing bombing runs on European nations supporting Ukraine following the use of UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to strike targets in Russia. Moscow's ambassador, Andrei Kelin, suggested Britain was now "directly involved" in the war in Ukraine.

READ MORE: Jaguar boss slams 'vile hatred and intolerance' after backlash to new advert

READ MORE: Controlled explosion near Euston station is fifth in 4 days as UK hit with wave of bomb scares

It has led many to wonder where the missiles fired by Russia could end up, and a chilling new graphic shows it would take just 20 minutes to hit capital cities like Paris and London - with even less time needed to strike Berlin or Warsaw.

Taking to Twitter/X with the map, Preston Stewart, an internet personality who makes videos discussing war, conflict and national security wrote: "Russian media released a new graphic showing Oreshnik missile flight times to major cities in Europe." The map, published by RT News, suggests the approximate missile flight time of the Oreshnik missile is just 20 minutes away from Paris and London. The hypersonic ballistic missiles are labelled "unstoppable" and Putin claims "no one in the world has such weapons."

See the map below:

He said of the Oreshnik: "There is no countermeasure to such a missile, no means of intercepting it, in the world today. And I will emphasise once again that we will continue testing this newest system. It is necessary to establish serial production." Putin has since ordered the mass production of said missiles.

President Putin has since warned the world he has a "right to use our weapons against" countries aiding Ukraine, though nations like the UK and US have been adamant in their support of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's continued campaign against invading forces.

Putin said: "We believe that we have the right to use our weapons against military facilities of the countries that allow to use their weapons against our facilities. And in case of escalation of aggressive actions, we will respond resolutely in a mirror way."

Ambassador Kelin has since suggested the US, France and the UK has escalated the situation between Ukraine and Russia, leading some to believe it could be, as the Moscow representative called it, a "collision between the nuclear powers," Sky News reported. He said: "The US administration, support by France and the UK, has made a deliberate decision to make these strikes, which seriously escalates the situation, and it can bring a collision between the nuclear powers."

Kelin has since warned there are "mercenaries from different countries" which could be deployed by Russia. He said: "On that subject, I can say easily that we have plenty of mercenaries from different countries that are fighting right now on the side of Ukraine. We just have seen in the Kursk area of the Polish unit, which has a special uniform worn by Polish soldiers. So what's the matter?"

It comes as Nato and Ukraine will hold emergency talks after Russia attacked a central city with an experimental, hypersonic ballistic missile that escalated the war.

The conflict is “entering a decisive phase,” Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Friday, and “taking on very dramatic dimensions”.

Ukraine’s parliament cancelled a session as security was tightened following a Russian strike on a military facility in the city of Dnipro on Thursday.

In a stark warning to the West, President Vladimir Putin said in a nationally televised speech to his nation that the attack with the intermediate-range Oreshnik missile was retaliation over Kyiv’s use of US and British longer-range missiles capable of striking deeper into Russian territory.

Mr Putin said Western air defence systems would be powerless to stop the new missile.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov kept up the bellicose tone on Friday, blaming “the reckless decisions and actions of Western countries” in supplying weapons to Ukraine to strike Russia.

“The Russian side has clearly demonstrated its capabilities, and the contours of further retaliatory actions in the event that our concerns were not taken into account have also been quite clearly outlined,” he said.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, widely seen as having the warmest relations with the Kremlin in the European Union, echoed Moscow’s talking points, suggesting the use of US-supplied weapons in Ukraine likely requires direct American involvement.

“These are rockets that are fired and then guided to a target via an electronic system, which requires the world’s most advanced technology and satellite communications capability,” Mr Orban said on state radio.

“There is a strong assumption … that these missiles cannot be guided without the assistance of American personnel.”

Mr Orban cautioned against underestimating Russia’s responses, emphasising that the country’s recent modifications to its nuclear deployment doctrine should not be dismissed as a bluff.

“It’s not a trick… there will be consequences,” he warned.

Looking for more from MyLondon? Subscribe to our daily newsletters here for the latest and greatest updates from across London.